𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝙼𝚎 (𝙽𝚘𝚝) - 𝚉𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢

chapter xii.

Harry helps Zayn take the stuff from the boot of the car. It's only a blanket, a picnic basket and a diaper bag for Noah but Harry's exhausted from being so useless. The least he can do is set up a bloody picnic he didn't even prepare.

They settle down underneath a tree not too far from the playground yet far enough that they will hear each other speak over the excited screams and squeals of children. Harry's a bit out of place, standing at the edge of the blanket, watching his own family to figure out what to do next. Before it gets weird, he sits down and waits while the kids chatter in their own worlds and languages.

"What, um," Harry starts, his brows furrowed. "What do we do here usually?"

"Just normal stuff," Zayn shrugs as he hands Noah a few toys from the diaper bag. "They play at the playground. We read to them. You create all these games for them. When they're off playing, you often read. But Sadie really likes to dance, don't you baby?"

Sadie nods enthusiastically. "I do ballet, daddy. I'm sooo good. Can I show you?"

"Of course, strawberry," Harry smiles at her. At least her nickname always comes to him easily.

"Can you play me some music, daddy?" Sadie asks as she stands up and takes her teeny tiny Converse off. Harry looks at Zayn in a mild panic but Zayn just smiles and says, "There's a playlist." And indeed, when Harry opens the Music app on his phone, he finds a playlist titled 'Sadie's dance music'. He hits shuffle and some strange music you'd heard in the background of a dance competition starts playing. It's probably what they use at classes because this is far from the classical music you'd actually perform a ballet to.

Sadie starts off with something that looks like a routine, describing which move is which. Harry encourages her, tells her how well she's doing and 'wow's where it seems appropriate. After a while, Sadie starts just jumping around to the music and eventually she pulls Noah up to join her. Harry starts laughing at the sight, his chest going warm as he watched Sadie hold Noah's hands and attempt to get him to dance. Noah, at his all two years of age, mostly giggles and wiggles around. His sheer joy, the laughter of the kids, it's music to Harry's ears and he can't believe he has to miss this. They're so happy and Harry's so overwhelmed by love for them he can barely see anything past Sadie and Noah. It's just them in the whole world and nothing else.

After a while, Sadie lets go off Noah and takes a courtsey. Harry and Zayn clap and cheer on her like she just graduated from Julliard. "I'm thirsty," she announces and walks the few steps to the picnic blanket. Without thinking, Harry grabs a juice box for her from the picnic basket. Sadie takes it and plops down in Harry's lap, sipping on the straw right away.

"You were so good, baby," Harry gushes and kisses Sadie's hair. He hugs her with both arms and Sadie rests her head against his chest. Noah stops dancing too and promptly plops down on the blanket. He grabs a dino figurine and starts chewing on it between actually playing with it.

"Thank you, daddy," Sadie says. "I'm gonna be in bigger group in September. I'm starting school. Did you know I'm gonna be five in November?"

Harry swallows thickly. It's depressing that his daughter is talking to him the way she would to a stranger, or someone who didn't know everything about her life. And Harry should know it, he fucking should. "I did know that, strawberry. You're a big girl, aren't you?"

"Mhm," Sadie nods, the straw between her lips. "But you said I'm gonna be the youngest at school. My birthday is in November so everyone will be five but I will be four in September."

"There's nothing wrong with that, is it?" Harry asks her, brushing her hair out of your face. "Dad and I just want you to be even smarter than you already are, darling. You will learn so many things and have so many new friends. I think it's gonna be exciting. Don't you?"